


This is Nice

by orphan_account



Category: Doctor Strange (2016)
Genre: First Kiss, Ice Cream, Love Confessions, M/M, cute fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 04:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15234888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Wong finally admits his feelings to Stephen and things take a surprisingly sweet and fluffy turn.





	This is Nice

Wong could smell the teriyaki barbeque wings before he heard the key scrape inside the door of the sanctum. He glanced up from his book in the library just in time to see the Cloak of Levitation flutter down the hall excitedly. He set his book aside, took a deep breath, and followed suit. Just as he and the sentient cloak reached the main stairwell, the stain glass door opened and Stephen stepped in. Balanced in his hand was two boxes of take out food and a white, plastic grocery bag slung on his wrist.

The cloak swooped down and took the white bag, its hem holding the handles. It tucked its collar and peeked inside.

“There’s nothing in there for you, weirdo,” Stephen smirked, setting the keys on the hook jutting from the wall. He glanced up at Wong. “Hey.”

“So….how’d it go?” Wong asked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully, as he headed down the steps.

Stephen smiled, in spite of himself. “Actually...I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I was going to. Kids are...actually really nice. The little ones, at least. I’m never doing parties for teenagers, if I do this again.”

Wong chuckled and took one box of wings. He smiled when he opened it, a steaming waft of aroma enticed his senses. “Teriyaki and….”

“Garlic parmesan,” Stephen confirmed. “I wasn’t in the mood for spicy.”

“That’s okay,” Wong smiled gently. He glanced at the bag the cloak held. “And….?”

Stephen sighed and quickly snatched the bag from the cloak. He knew the moment he said what was inside, the cloak would be tearing the bag apart. “I couldn’t help it. They had Ben & Jerry's on sale-”

“Oooh,” Wong grinned widely, his eyes lighting up. “It’s a celebration indeed!”

“Yeah, I finally made some money the ol’ fashioned way,” Stephen nudged him playfully and walked towards the dining hall, summoning plates and cups to the small cafe table in the corner. “One of us has to have a job since you won’t let me conjure up some money.”

“That would be cheating,” Wong pointed out as he happily sat down. He watched Stephen walk around the grand kitchen of the Sanctum. Behind Stephen, the cloak waved anxiously at him, pointing at its master. Wong nodded and waved at it to calm down. He could do this. Once he had some food in his belly. “And morally wrong.”

Stephen rolled his eyes as he opened the freezer and scooped his cup through the ice bucket on the top shelf. “C’mon, a few hundred here and there wouldn’t hurt-”

“Stephen!”

“I was joking,” Stephen drawled lazily as took his seat and popped open his box of wings and took a bite. “Ya know...I could use an assistant-”

“Absolutely not,” Wong deadpanned as he dug into his wings. “I have many duties in Kamar Taj. Besides….these birthday parties are good for your sense of character.”

“My character’s fantastic,” Stephen pointed out. “It’s the world that’s full of morons.” He gulped nervously at Wong’s harsh stare. “But….not all of them are completely moronic.”

Wong sighed and dipped his wings in some extra sauce. “So, what do you do at these parties? Conjure some shields for the kids?”

“The birthday girl wanted butterflies,” Stephen smiled. “Lots of them. So that’s a thing now. Also found out the shields can hold about 5 kids before they collapse.”

Wong chuckled. “I bet they enjoyed that!”

“Oh yeah, it was great. They’d stand there and try to guess where I’d make the next one appear. That kept them occupied for awhile,” Stephen took a sip of soda.

Wong laughed incredulously. “I’d love to see that!”

“Pretty sure there’s a Youtube video by now,” Stephen pulled out his phone and idly swiped through to see if he could find it. Sure enough, the video was already posted. Stephen flipped his phone around for Wong to watch.

Stephen stood in the middle of the backyard, forcibly wearing a party hat on his head, along with the dozen or so kids all jumping and yelling around his feet. He carefully conjured a shield a few inches off the ground. The parent’s gasps and cries of amazement made the video’s audio crackle for a moment. The kids quickly climbed on, all squealing in delight. It quickly crumbled and dissipated under the pressure.

“Careful now!” Stephen warned them. “Don’t all rush on it. One at a time now.”

A few kids pouted and whined. Soon, there were five or six kids balancing on the shield. With his hand behind his back, Stephen made a second shield appear about a foot away from them. The kids gasped and yelled, jumping from one to the other.

Wong chuckled and handed Stephen back his phone. “That’s sweet,” he muttered. “You’re great with kids after all.”

Stephen shrugged. “I never really was good with them. Especially in medical school. They complain too much and the parent’s don’t even know what’s wrong with them half the time. Or they read something on WedMD and think they’re dying.”

Wong shrugged. “Still, I think these birthday parties are good for you. You should keep doing them.”

“I may up my fee though,” Stephen added.

“How much did you charge for this one?” Wong asked, fearing the worst. He knew how Stephen missed his old life of money and status.

“Only $75 for an hour,” Stephen shrugged. “But they kept me for 2 hours and the lady was nice. Pretty sure she was a single mom coming onto me, but….ya know. She gave me a bonus so it came out to $200. She suggested I make my hourly rate a hundred, if not more.”

Wong made a face. “That’s not too bad, I suppose.” The idea of a suburban mom flirting with Stephen made his stomach turn over. No doubt the man was attractive and charming, and if Stephen wanted, he would have anyone if he asked. Which he probably did in his years at school and the hospital. Wong sighed...maybe he shouldn’t….but no, he had kept his true feelings inside for far too long.

Stephen nodded silently and ate half his wings. Since they didn’t have a lot of money and Kamar Taj was busy beyond belief, he often felt bad for slipping over there just to grab a meal. Between training and possibly continuing these birthday parties, Stephen kept busy and sometimes forgot to eat. Wong and the cloak would always remind him. Though, he much preferred Wong’s method of reminding him. Waking up to a breakfast tray on his nightstand was much better than the Cloak cocooning him and flinging him over the stairs into the kitchen.

Stephen raised an eyebrow when the cloak peeked over his shoulder, as if sniffing the wings. “Can I help you?” he asked.

The cloak wiped a smudge of sauce off his chin, which vanished into the fabric. The cloak shook itself, say if saying “No,” and fluttered away, hovering near the freezer. “No,” Wong said firmly when the cloak tried to pull on the handle. “No ice cream until we finish!”

The fabric curled up on the floor like an impatient dog and heaved a sigh. Stephen and Wong rolled their eyes. “What flavors did you get this time?” Wong rubbed his hands together excitedly.

“The Hulk one, like always,” Stephen replied, rolling his last teriyaki wing in the extra sauce. “There’s a new one: Midnight Mjölnir. It’s dark chocolate with pop rocks and marshmallow fluff.”

“Oohh…” Wong licked his lips. “Sounds tasty.”

Stephen smiled. “I figured you’d like it.” He finished up his meal and saved the rest. As he neared the fridge, the cloak glanced up hopefully. “Not yet.”

The cloak sank down sadly. It wanted ice cream!

Wong chuckled and stored his food away. “I’ve never seen it this-”

“Dramatic?” Stephen guessed.

“Alive,” Wong commented. “It is a blessing you found each other.”

“Yeah, well, when a raving mad zealot is trying to kill you with glass swords, it kinda forces you to become friends,” Stephen said quietly. He took down two glass bowls from the cabinet and handed one to Wong. He went to open the drawer for the ice cream scooper, but a tiny portal opened and Wong snatched it away. Stephen smirked and huffed in amusement under his breath.

“I thought conjuring gateways wasn’t allowed,” he teased.

“Only in my library,” Wong teased back.

When Stephen finally opened the freezer, the cloak floated up, rubbing the middle of its trim together, as if it were a pair of hands. A strange habit it picked up from Wong, but the cloak noticed how it made Stephen smile.

Stephen scooped a round ball of each flavor into their bowls and followed Wong back to the table. He heard the rustle of fabric and felt an ominous presence behind him. Sighing, Stephen took a spoonful of the Midnight Mjölnir and held it up. The cloak swooped in, absorbing the confection quickly. The entire piece of fabric shuddered, ripples waving down its body and the collar folded in.

“Brain freeze?” Stephen asked it. The poor thing nodded and spun in circles above them. “Typical…” Stephen finally got his bite and closed his eyes, moaning softly. “Oh man…”

“Good?” Wong bit his lip. Stephen had no idea that noises he made were...tantalizing. He quickly took a bite to freeze the heat blossoming inside him. “Mmm...not bad. Marshmallows a little sweet for me.”

“I wike it,” Stephen said with a mouthful of melting ice cream. A string of white fluff smeared on his pale, pink lips and Stephen’s wiped it away. He huffed in amusement when Wong put his serving in Stephen’s bowl. “Don’ wike it?”

Wong shook his head. “I prefer my Hulk-A-Hulk-A-Burning-Fudge.”

Stephen shook his head and polished off both scoops. The cloak eventually came back down, flopping over Stephen’s shoulder. “You want more?” he asked. The fabric shook its collar ‘no.’ “Good, I wasn’t planning on sharing.”

“Stephen…” Wong said. He nervously stood up and walked over to the sink to rinse his bowl. He squeezed the dollar tree soap they had into the bowl, watching it mix and swirl with the leftover melted cream. He scrubbed the bowl quickly with hot water, then with cold water. Wong cursed silently as he went to set it on the drying rack and noticed his own hand trembling. “Listen, there’s something we need to discuss.”

“What’s wrong this time?” Stephen asked. He never liked it when Wong said those words. It never meant anything good.

“It’s not serious,” Wong assured him. He balled his hands into fists and hid them behind his back as he faced Stephen. “I uh...just want to...say something?”

“Oooookaaaaay?” Stephen sat up, thoroughly confused. Behind him, the cloak looked up in anticipation. It gave Wong its version of a thumbs up. It helped to loosen the knot winding in his chest.

“It’s just that…” Wong wrung his hands nervously together, flexing his fingers before stopping and letting them rest at his sides. “We’ve been sharing the sanctum for several months now, and...well, what I mean to say is...it’s been, umm….nice.”

Stephen raised an eyebrow. “Nice?”

Wong nodded, a faint pink tinge on his cheeks. “Getting to know you, seeing how you’ve grown since you arrived has been….a privilege for me.”

Stephen was oddly quiet, his lips in a tiny perfect O shape as he processed Wong’s words. Then his eyes widened. “Oh….” he realized. “I see….”

“You do?” Wong’s heart stopped for a second.

“Is this...do you...have a crush on me?” Stephen asked.

“No, of course not. What makes you say that? I would never! I mean, not that you’re not unattractive. I mean, you are...attractive,” Wong rambled on, his tanned skin turning pink. “Or uh…..shit.”

Stephen snorted. “Wong…”

“Yes, okay,” he sighed embarrassingly. “I do…”

“I wondered,” Stephen admitted. “I wasn’t sure if you felt the same.”

Wong looked up and met his gaze. “You...too?”

Stephen nodded, a faint cherry pink blush bloomed on his pale cheeks. “Like you said...spending time with you, getting to know you...it’s been nice. Having someone here is nice. Especially after all I’ve been through, and honestly...you saw me at my worst. Now, I feel like I’m at a new best because of you.”

Wong blushed deep pink. “What about that girl from your work?”

“Christine? Oh, I can’t involve her in this,” Stephen shook his head. “Besides...she and Nic are kind of a thing, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t keep up on the office gossip.”

‘Unless it involves you?” Wong raised an eyebrow.

Stephen grinned. “That’s the best kind, naturally.”

“Naturally,” Wong smirked. He stood against the sink and glanced at his feet, wiggling his toes. It made him feel better knowing that Stephen wasn’t interested in that nurse anymore. She was nice when she stopped by, but a twinge of jealousy always coursed through Wong when she looked at Stephen. Wong often wondered if that’s how he looked when he watched Stephen. “Also...with the whole turning back time and saving my life, it...well, I never expected anyone to do something like that for me. I thought my time was up and now that I have more, I...don’t want to miss any chance I have.”

Stephen smiled and stood up, walking over to Wong. He gently placed a trembling hand on Wong’s shoulder. “No one knows that better than me,” he smiled. “Case and point.” Stephen held up his other twitching hand. The scars seemed darker and deeper today. The raised white lines where the skin had been sewn and re-sewn so many times were almost translucent.

Wong gently placed his hand over Stephen’s and let a small wave of purple fog encase his hand. For a moment, the twitching stopped and the harsh contrast of colors of his skin seemed to settle. Stephen always enjoyed it when Wong did that. “You need to teach me how to do that spell,” Stephen pointed out.

“But then I wouldn’t be able to do it for you anymore,” Wong countered, a small twinge of sadness in his voice. They made eye contact and Stephen nodded ever so slightly.

“Oh….” he muttered. Stephen carefully wove his fingers through Wong’s and applied the softest pressure he could without feeling any pain. “So….does this uh...where are we then? As, ya know...us?”

Wong looked at their hands. “We have time, don’t we? We can take it slow. Enjoy every moment like we have before.”

Stephen smiled. “That sounds nice…”

“Yeah…” Wong barely breathed the word. He looked up and met Stephen’s gaze. He always loved looking into Stephen’s eyes. It was as if Agamotto had harnessed the most beautiful galaxy and compacted it into those swirling orbs. Be it Wong’s imagination or not, but he swore Stephen’s eyes shone brighter after he was introduced to the magic of the multiverse.

He glanced at their hands once more. “So….”

“So?” Stephen purred. He was waiting. Like they just said, they should take it slow, but Stephen kind of wanted to take a tiny step forward. It only seemed natural. “Wong?”

“Yes?” he looked up. Time seemed to slow itself down as Stephen’s hand moved from Wong’s shoulder to his cheek, cupping it perfectly. Wong closed his eyes when he felt Stephen’s lips brush his. The sweetness of the ice cream left them moist and puckered. Wong all but melted, his heart pounding happily. He brought his hands up, not quite sure where he should place them. Wong settled for the small of Stephen’s back and sighed happily.

The cloak quivered happily in its place then darted off to tell the other relics the wonderful news!

Stephen pulled back slowly, resting his forehead on Wong’s. “That was…”

“Nice?” Wong guessed. “Yeah…”

“Yeah,” Stephen agreed gently. “I could get used to this.”

“Me too,” Wong agreed. He couldn’t resist leaning in to steal one more kiss.

Stephen chuckled, his facial hair brushing against Wong’s peach fuzz that was beginning to grow. “Oh, about this,” Stephen playfully traced a finger along the dark hair above Wong’s lip.

“Something I’m trying out,” he shrugged. “If you dare ask me to shave it, then you shave yours.”

“Uh, no,” Stephen said flatly. “I like mine the way it is.”

“I do too,” Wong smiled. “It frames your face really well. Much better than that tumbleweed you had on when you first showed up.”

Stephen burst out laughing, throwing his head back. “It felt like a tumbleweed, to be honest.”

Wong snickered. He glanced up at Stephen, hardly believing this entire plan went better than he expected. He rested his head on Stephen’s chest. Wong smiled when he felt Stephen’s arm wrap gently around his middle and they stood in the kitchen, relishing the new moment.

* * *

Wong was launched out of his bed by a loud, piercing scream. It was a scream he knew all too well. Grabbing his night robe and a glass lantern, Wong hurried from his sleeping chambers and opened the door to the long main hallway. The cloak was already hurtling towards him.

“I’m coming,” Wong told it as he ran for Stephen’s rooms. It was another nightmare…

He hurried into Stephen’s room, finding the master of the sanctum tossing and turning in his sheets. Hot, clammy sweat covered Stephen’s face and bare chest. Wong tried not to look too long, but damn if Stephen’s toned abs weren’t a sight to see with his dark blue cotton pajamas hanging low on his hips.

“Aaahh….n-no, please!” Stephen whimpered, trapped in his nightmare. “Gods….please….spare him!”

Wong frowned. This wasn’t his usual nightmare. Stephen normally had nightmares of Dormammu….or of Mordo. He would never admit it, but Wong hated it when Mordo was the cause of his dreams. The man broke Stephen’s heart and left him behind over such a small trifle. Those weeks following Mordo’s departure were some of the roughest they endured. Wong had to pretend he didn’t hear Stephen’s faint sobs in the middle of the night. Or when he would walk through the front doors, shoulders heavy and eyes glazed over from another useless search.

“W-Wong…” Stephen whimpered in his sleep, eyes squeezed shut. “Please...I’m sorry-”

“Stephen?” Wong whispered, leaning in close. The dream was about him? “Wake up...Stephen, wake up. I’m right here…”

He was careful about touching Stephen in his dreams. The last time he did, Stephen accidentally punched broke Wong, breaking his nose nose and reopening the stitches in his hand. Wong hesitated as the cloak came in, carrying a small basin of water with a cold rag in it. Wong took the rag and squeezed it. He gently placed it on Stephen’s forehead.

“Stephen...wake up,” he whispered softly. “I’m here...you’re safe.”

“No..” Stephen shook his head. Tears were trickling from the corners of his eyes. “Please...don’t break it. M’begging you…”

Wong frowned. This was serious. Another broken nose would be worth it. He grabbed Stephen’s shoulders and gave a soft squeeze. “Stephen!” he called gently. “Stephen!”

“NO!!!” Stephen’s eyes flew up and thankfully his hands were so tangled in the sheets, he couldn’t thrash very much. “Wong!”

He pulled away the blankets and helped Stephen to sit up. The cold rag fell from his forehead and plopped in Stephen’s lap, making him jump and yelp. He was gasping, chest heaving as he looked around the room. His eyes came back to Wong and those injured hands were cupping his cheeks. “Wong?” Stephen’s voice was so tiny, broken and soft.

“I’m here,” Wong reassured him. “It was just a dream.”

“It was horrible,” Stephen pulled Wong close, pressing their foreheads together. “It was all my fault. I didn’t do enough…”

“Enough what?” Wong asked, his heart fluttering happily at how close they were, but also for fear of what plagued Stephen.

“You were dying...I had the cure right in my grasp, but it fell...there wasn’t a single drop left and I couldn’t...it was too late, the tumor in your head-” Stephen gasped, his jaw tightening as he held back a sob.

Wong frowned. “Stephen...I’m not dying. There’s no tumor. My family has no history of such things-”

“Even cancer?” Stephen asked quickly.

Wong shook his head. “Nope, we’re all healthy as can be! Every last Wong has passed from old age or battle.”

Stephen flattened his lips for a moment. “No cancer?” he muttered, one last time, to completely convince himself.

Wong tucked a finger under Stephen’s chin and raised it gently so they were looking at each other, eye-to-eye. “No cancer….ever.”

The edges of Stephen’s lips turned up. His eyes shimmered as he blinked tears back. He swallowed thickly and nodded. The cloak hovered in close, holding the cold rag. Stephen huffed and took the rag, patting his face and neck gently. Wong took the rag and smiled. “Let me...”

“I’m not an invalid,” Stephen mumbled. Still, he let Wong do his work. He secretly liked the attention.

“I know...just let me,” Wong insisted. He wiped away the tears that did fall on Stephen’s cheeks and he even got behind stephen’s ears to help him cool down. Wong leaned in and kissed Stephen’s forehead.

“It’s okay, it was only a nightmare,” Wong whispered. “It wasn’t real. I’m not going to die anytime soon.”

Stephen closed his eyes and sighed. “Thank you…” he whispered. Sometimes hearing the simple truth put him at ease. When Wong stood up with the small basin, Stephen reach out and touched his side. “Stay?”

Wong bit his lip...then nodded. “Let me put this-”

The cloak swooped in and took the bin away. Then the hem smacked Wong’s back, shoving him towards the bed. Both men couldn’t help but chuckle and roll their eyes. Wong walked to the other side of the bed and pulled the thick sheets back. He climbed in and scooted over, placing a hand on Stephen’s bare shoulder.

The younger man rolled over, his hand going to cup Wong’s round face once more. Together, they scooted closer until they were wrapped in each other’s arms. Stephen buried his face in Wong’s chest, inhaling the scent of him. He smelled of bergamot and orange spice. Stephen sighed contently, remembering the scent well.

Wong began tracing calming spells on Stephen’s back, the lights sparkling from the mandalas as they sank into his pale, silky smooth skin. He watched as Stephen began to blink heavily, those long dark eyelashes fluttering over his dark eyes. His jaw went slack and soon, Stephen was asleep. A light snore filled the room as Stephen’s jaw hung open ever so slightly. A little trickle of drool oozed out and dampened Wong’s sleeve. He smiled and rested his head back on the many pillows that littered the bed.

* * *

The late morning sunlight rolled into the bedroom, peeking through the wall high tapestries as a thin beam highlighted the crimson sheets. Wong held Stephen in his arms, fast asleep himself. The cloak was floating above the bed frame, watching them both closely. It squeezed its flaps together, so happy at the sight!

Master and Wong were finally together!

It had been frustrating trying to get the two silly humans to confess their emotions to each other. Throughout time, the cloak had become accustomed to bringing its masters together with their lovers. It became such a natural thing to do, the cloak could spot an attraction a mile away! Though, Stephen was his most stubborn master, and it had taken a while to figure out who was meant for him.

Stephen shifted in his sleep, and Wong subconsciously pulled him closer. Wong blinked slowly, half awake, and glanced down at Stephen, who was still snoring softly. Wong smiled softly and brushed his nose in Stephen’s messy hair. He glanced up at the cloak who gave him a thumbs up.

Wong chuckled to himself and nodded. The cloak waved and hurried out of the room to give them their privacy. Master would be safe with Wong.

Wong kissed Stephen’s temple and closed his eyes, falling back asleep. This was exactly what he had hoped and dreamed for.

This nice moment.

**Author's Note:**

> This was another gifted piece for the lovely Holstered-Ransom. If you like what you're reading, please check out my Tumblr under the same user name.
> 
> Thank you! <3


End file.
